Configure menu - Camera

[KelAuth]

Hardware agents ordered from OutagesIO come with special features which can be enabled through the dashboard. One of those features is the ability to connect a compatible (UVC) webcam to the USB connector on the device.

IMPORTANT: The hardware agent needs at least one amp of power without anything connected to it. When adding a USB device, the device plus the agent total power requirement must be taken into consideration otherwise the agent will not function correctly or could even be damaged.

Determine the power supply by the amount of wattage/amps the camera needs then add one amp. Typically, a 2-3 amp USB power supply should be sufficient.

Camera settings available include the following values.

Enable Camera: Enable or disable the camera service on the hardware device. The dashboard will show if the device supports this.

Resolution: (Default 1024x768) Pick the most efficient resolution for the camera in pixels. Note, higher resolution means more bandwidth required.

Options are: 160x120 320x240 800x600 1024x768 1280x720 1280x960 1600x1200 1920x1080

Framerate: (Default 5) Pick the framerate that the camera should stream at. Note, higher frame rates mean more bandwidth required. Options are: 5 10 15 20 25 30

Username: (Default name) Create a secure user name for access. Upper, lower and control characters combination are best. Password: (Default pass) Create a minimum 8 character password. Upper, lower and control characters combination are best.

When clicking on Save, the agent may be rebooted in order to start the webcam service. Check the dashboard and the Heartbeat section to confirm when the agent is communicating again. Once confirmed to be communicating, connect the webcam to the USB port of the agent.

Once the configuration is completed and the the camera is up and running, a link will be shown in both the Light and Standard dashboard views. Note that Internet explorer doesn't seem to work.

A prompt for username and password should be shown. If not, try disconnecting then reconnecting the camera to have the drivers identify it. The agent may need to be fully powered down then back on with or without the camera connected.

After experimenting to find the right combination, the camera should always be seen once it is working with the agent.

NOTICE: To use the webcam as a remote security camera over the Internet, a port forwarding will be required on the local router/firewall. Internet accessible devices should always use strong user name and password combinations.

Experiment with resolution and frame rates to determine what works best for the requirement and the available bandwidth.